COLUMBIANA CO. Funds sought for job training

A public hearing in connection with a power plant proposal is set for April. By NORMAN LEIGH VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU LISBON -- Columbiana County officials are assembling an application for nearly $500,000 in federal funds that could be used for job training and other purposes. "We have a good opportunity here," Commissioner Dave Cranmer said during Wednesday's commissioners meeting. Commissioners will work with other county officials to develop an application for the federal dollars. The funding request must show how the money would be used. Only certain uses are allowed, including job creation and job training projects aimed at putting low-income people to work. The application deadline is April 5, Cranmer said. Power plant: In other business, commissioners said the Ohio Environmental Projection Agency has set a public hearing in connection with a $600 million power plant proposed for along St. Jacob-Logtown Road in Center Township. The hearing is at 7 p.m. April 11 at the Lisbon Junior-Senior High School auditorium, 260 W. Pine St. Its purpose is to hear comments from the public regarding an application by Cogentrix Energy Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., to discharge cooling water from the natural gas-fired plant into the Middle Fork of Little Beaver Creek. The plant is expected to discharge about 2 million gallons of water daily. After it's treated, the water would be released into the creek. Cogentrix also is awaiting approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board for the site the company has chosen for the plant. The company wants to begin construction later this year. Commissioners said they're waiting to hear from Elkrun Township trustees whether they object to a proposal to erect a telecommunications tower in either Elkrun or Madison townships. An exact location has yet to be determined by Dynatek Communications of Youngstown, the company that wants to erect the tower, commissioners said. Madison Township trustees already have told commissioners they don't object to a tower. Commissioners are asking trustees about the proposal because construction of the tower could entail movement of heavy equipment on township roads. An access road also would have to be constructed to reach the tower, and it may intersect with a township road, Cranmer said.